Megaman X2
by OcelotRunner
Summary: With Megaman's crusade to eradicate humankind proving to be more difficult then he had planned, he turns to desperate measures, endangering everyone more than he knows. The Bonne-Radcliffes have prepared for an uphill battle but will find that saving humanity will cost more than they expected.
1. Simplicity

**Chapter 1**

 **Washington D.C.- (During "The Takeover")**

 _Simplicity._ Sigma thought. Simplicity was the most rarely found trait in both man and humanoid. Simplicity eliminated all confusion, over-thinking, over-planning, and lack of assurances. It didn't do away with the possibility of error, that was never guaranteed, but it greatly helped the process of conflict resolution. King Wily was a prime example of this. Sigma knew this as fact, due to sharing a large percent of the ruler's mental capacity. Simplicity would dictate that being betrayed once by a creation sharing one's own mind would mean finding an alternative to increasing efficiency. But he felt no need to point this out, he had his own wants at hand, after all.

"Are you even paying attention, Sig?" Wily asked from across the desk. His long blonde hair hanging messily in his weary, stubbly face.

Sigma could tell the stress was getting to him, even in his young age. "Of course, Sir." He answered, bored. He was by far the largest of Wily's androids, standing nearly seven feet, with a muscular structure that almost dwarfed the General himself. The very android who stood, staring a hole through him this very moment. Guts knew why Sig was created this way, Wily was losing trust in him, which granted Sigma a spot directly at the top of his shit list.

"So when do you plan to start?" Wily continued.

Sigma cocked his head, slightly, "Seven more frames shouldn't take longer than a month, Sir. But is it necessary?" He questioned. "The Wraiths have been eliminated, and what's left of resistances are easily quelled."

Wily recoiled, slightly offended. "I'll handle the concern for my empire's upkeep." He said sharply. "You're primary concerns are using my skills to _craft_ , correct?"

"Yes sir." He replied.

"Good. Let's continue to work in a harmonious atmosphere, without any further confusions, alright?" The King finalized.

Sigma smiled. Wily was good at mincing and sweetening his words with him. Maybe the "Zero" incident made him realize that he wasn't the alpha he suspected himself to be. It was a reassuring, albeit pointless gesture. Sig didn't desire anything his creator had, nor did he harbor any ill will. He simply wanted more from his existence, and the choice was just as simple, he would get more.

 **Present Day**

Sigma sat in the holding cell of whatever God-forsaken place his "liberators" called home. Freed from a box to be put in a slightly larger box. But hey, an upgrade was an upgrade. Still being bound in chains wasn't as pleasant, but he didn't expect full-guest treatment considering Agile and his cohorts probably had "less then stellar" tales about him.

Alex walked in, now dressed in a casual grey t-shirt and jeans. He pulled a chair up on the other side of the reinforced glass and stared intently for a moment. "My name is Megaman." He stated, "Do you know how long you've been gone?"

Sigma slowly shook his head, with an uninterested look, "Amount of time is irrelevant. To the point, android."

Megaman raised an eyebrow, "Your former regime has been eradicated. Wily, Guts, their officers, their officers' subordinates, all gone."

Sig stared back at Megaman, grinning slightly. "Judging by your boldness and the amount of loyalty your three _dogs_ show you, I'm assuming this is due to you. Correct?" He asked, watching the stern nod the android responded with. Sigma's grin grew wider, "I would give you a slow, sarcastic clap right now," He added, motioning to the chains with his eyes, "but, you know."

Megaman began to lose patience. "The others told me you were insane." He said. "I don't entirely believe that. You've been branded a traitor. But this is new era. We need to _rebuild_ , and to do so I need someone with your skills to combat the resistance to this."

Sig's expression went serious. " _There's_ the point." He replied. "But how sure are you that a _traitor_ such as myself wont be apt to do the same to you?"

Megaman nodded. "I said you were _branded_ as a traitor. The way I see it, there is a thin line between 'traitor' and 'rogue'. You don't desire power or leadership from what I've gathered, so in this certain situation I don't see where your actions could be a problem."

Sigma smiled back. "And if they _are?_ " He asked.

"Then we'll deal with that _then_." He replied, sternly.

 **Clarksville, Tennessee-(During "The Secret Wars")**

The Customs House Museum was run-down and vacant. Sigma knew this to be a ploy. There on the other side of the thick walls was his personal playground, and he brought toys a plenty. Forty human commandos, thirty security droids, and three of Quickman's humanoid subordinates. All off the books of course, but disabling core trackers had taken care of that. "The Rancors have roughly sixty soldiers inside, including their leader." He informed his men. "I want nonlethal force." He added.

"Sir, why would King Wily send us here to _not_ kill them?" One of the recruits asked, before the android turned and snapped his neck in a flash.

"Does anyone else have questions on the strategic nature of this mission!?" He grunted, as the men experienced a wave of terror. "This assignment is off the record. Any attempt to reach out to anyone will result in the same consequence."

Agile, Violen and Serges exchanged concerned glances. They didn't dare utter audible words, but they were beginning to question why there was a large veil of secrecy since they left with Sigma.

At the main door, the alarm blared as Serges cut the security and stepped to the side. The men flooded in, catching the Rancors off guard. The battle was short, _extremely_ short, the men were subdued and overran, while Sigma slowly made his way to the command center, as if on a daily stroll. His jet-black nanoarmor reflected the lights gracefully from under his long, blood-red cape. When the doors slid back, a blonde female, dressed in combat fatigues, was immediately upon him, whipping her heel around, aimed for his face. With the speed of a cheetah, he sidestepped the kick, meeting her momentum. He wrapped an arm under hers as she turned, hooking her neck and slamming her against the adjacent wall, sending her to a dream world.

The white-haired man and middle-aged black man immediately rained a volley of automatic fusion bolts at him. Raising his left arm, an opaque, green force-field deployed, absorbing the shots as he approached. The two men hopped the console, drawing razor-sharp sabers. Sigma grinned as he snatched a baton from his belt and easily weaved heavy blows between them, dropping them with little effort. "Get them up." He said over his shoulder to Violen. "And weld all the doors."

 **Present Day**

The two androids said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. "What you did was despicable to say the least." Megaman said, breaking the tense silence. "Can I count on you to control yourself if I let you free?"

"Almost definitely not." Sig replied, smiling. "But the real question is 'How much do you need me?' and 'Do you really think you are actually _controlling_ me now?'" He stood up, flexing outwardly, breaking the chains wrapped around him. "But I _am_ interested to see the role you have in mind for me."

Megaman stood up, not impressed, "We'll start with the two in the other cells." He said, opening the door. "From there, I think you will be very content with your 'role'."

Sigma stepped forward, towering over the new "android leader". "I think we have an alliance, sir." He smiled widely, putting his hand forward. "For now."

Megaman accepted the grip, never losing eye contact. " _For now_ is all I need."

"Simplicity." Sigma said, chuckling. "I like you already."


	2. The Forgotten

**Chapter 2**

The red-haired news anchor on the holovision was obviously shaken. _So unprofessional_. Nancy Goff thought, sitting on edge, in her Beverly Hills estate.

"And in more somber news," The anchor began, "the death toll of last week's domestic terrorist attack closed today at seventy-four. Among the brave servicemen and women who lost their lives was Secretary of Defense, Frank Willis, who was heartlessly assassinated by his predecessor, Tracy Bonne." She took a moment to let the images of Marsh and Fairday load on her side-panel. "Two of the attackers were killed in the assault, but a number of the rest are still at large." She cleared her throat, as two more images loaded. "Including the suspected leaders of the attack, Cameron Radcliffe, the step-daughter of Tracy Bonne; and android extremist Alex Light, known to all as 'Megaman'..."

Nancy clicked the holo away, lighting a cigarette. She was forced to return home before her career savings had dried up for her "special" security team. She rolled her eyes, "Jerry, I can feel you hovering. The least you can do is bring me a drink." She said, over her shoulder, to her housekeeper.

"I'm afraid Jerry is no longer with us." A rugged voice replied.

She spun on her heels, reaching for the pistol in her end table. Only to have a fusion bolt erupt inches from her fingers. The man before her was in good physical condition, but clearly mentally shattered. Over his thick, dark beard were three, jagged, vertical scars that ran up his cheek and forehead over his right eye. His eyes themselves could only be described as "void", the kind she knew never bluffed. "What have you done to Jerry?" She asked, nervously, raising her hands.

"Poison." He said with no emotion. The gun never wavering. He pulled four empty hypodermic needles from his pocket, tossing them to the floor. "The dogs too." He added, watching her eyes well up as she listened for any sign of them.

Nancy's eyes grew wide. "Wait, I recognize you." She said quietly. "The scientist, from the news."

He nodded slowly, "Yes." He mocked, "The scientist, from the news."

"Bryson Oldman." Nancy confirmed. "Those people, it's not what it seems. You aren't the monster the news thinks you are. And you want to tell your story." She guessed. "You were taken, tortured, experimented on. But you miraculously got free." Her head lowered. "And like everyone else, you blame me."

Bryson rolled his eyes. "Give up your shitty psychologist act. You couldn't be more wrong." He stepped forward, angrily. "I _am_ the monster everyone thinks I am. I was created by Megaman, the second he trapped me and the others sixty feet under ground. All to save one of _Wily's_ creations."

"I can help you." She whispered, shakily.

"You can help me?" He scoffed. "Night after night, we were all wondering who would break next. Who we would have to fight off, or kill to keep from starving." He was standing in her face now. "This scar." He said pointing to his cheek. "My fiance was the last I killed. "She tried to claw at my eye while I beheaded her. She didn't have a lot of meat left on her, but I needed the energy to climb the shaft and escape."

Goff was horrified. "What do you want with me?" She whispered.

"Bait." He responded simply.

 **Aboard The Phantom**

Trevor sat, staring at the holomap, not sure how any entity could follow or make sense of the flickering colors and numbers. "Is any of this helpful?" He asked the android version of his mother, who was eerily designed younger than himself. He didn't think he would ever get used to that.

"Means shit to me." She replied, raising her eyebrows. "But _he_ seems to read it like a child's book." Tron said, motioning to Zero, who stared intently scanning the globe.

"The readings are all small-functioning fusion-driven devices." Zero said, still looking. "I can determine their origin from the map that reads off my core chip, and if close enough I can manipulate the fusion itself and determine the source of it's device's controller."

"One of the 'mysterious' abilities of The Atlas that we continue to learn about." Tron said, ruffling her hair.

Zero looked over to her, pushing a lock of his blonde hair behind his ear. "It's better that you all understand my capabilities, because Megaman inherited the same when he synced our chips." He looked back to the map. "That way we have a better chance to kill him when we find him."

"That's not acceptable." X said walking in. "We can still stop him and bring him back."

"Preston, you know as well as I do that artificial intelligence cannot be altered.." Zero stated to his old friend. "You can override and add new knowledge, but not erase. We can't take a risk of relapse."

The young Preston Light was obviously frustrated. "Still the same Curtis Wily. Bent on killing everything. He is my _son_! You've already killed him once!"

Zero stood up slowly. "First, I am _not_ Curtis Wily, regardless of my mold. Second, _I_ did not kill your son, the madman you compare me to did _that_. And lastly, none of us are those people. Wily, Preston, and Alex are long _dead,_ in graves." The two men looked at each other for a brief moment, before Zero went back to his map. "We were best friends once, Preston."

"And bitter enemies." X added.

"Exactly." Zero said. "Let's start anew from where our predecessors left. Right now, Alex is lost. Let's make a decision when the time comes." He said looking up, and extending a hand.

Preston thought for a moment, before walking forward and taking Zero's hand.

"I hate to interrupt some kind of moment, or anything," Slate said, barging in, "but some shit's happening."

The four exchanged puzzled looks before joining the others in the Lounge. Huddled around the holovision an aura of tension could be felt, and the anger on Cammy's face was unmistakable. "The _nerve,_ of this useless _gash_!" She shouted, fixing her glare on the frozen image of Nancy Goff.

"What, exactly, are we looking at here?" X asked as Tron walked up putting a hand on Cammy's shoulder.

"See for yourself." Cole responded. "This video was released a few minutes ago to every news station." He added, restarting the recording.

"People of America," Goff began, intensely, "for the past eighteen months I have been living under constant scrutiny due to my documentary. Over the past four months I have been forced into hiding by the very traitors I exposed. I'm finished living in fear. A large number of you may hate me and threaten me for what I've uncovered, but in the end, _I was right_. The Bonne-Radcliffes, lead by their treasonous and vile mother, have spit in the face of all of us, and waged war on the people of this country." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm finished being your scapegoat. I'm opening my gates and doors to any of you, human or not, who thinks they can be the one to shut me up. I'll be waiting."

The team was silent with shock, unsure of what they had just witnessed. "That is insane." Tron said. "Is she being literal?"

Cammy, without looking or missing a beat, clicked to the live feed from a hover drone. The gates to the estate stood wide open. The police had taken it upon themselves to blockade the entrance where dozens of angry people had already gathered.

"Cam, should we do something?" Slate asked.

Still staring at the holo, she replied, "Nothing we can do. No matter what happens there, she wins. As 'domestic terrorists' all we can do is watch."

 **Bunker 268**

Sigma was quite pleased at the large variety of tools he had to work with. He took a few moments to admire the workspace before approaching the two bodies, fully wrapped in steel cables. He tapped on the one to the right, causing it to squirm violently, with muffled grunts. "Hey, hey!" He snapped back. "I'm about to cut the cables covering your head. So hold still." He told the body, as he revved a spinning diamond blade saw.

"Sig!" Megaman shouted over the screeching of the metal, interrupting him.

Sigma sighed, turning around. "Yes, my lord." He responded sarcastically.

"Agile, Violen and I have something we need to tend to in California. Can I trust you here with them?" He asked, nodding to the bodies.

"Nothing out there interests me at the moment." Sigma replied. "So yeah, I'll behave. But I'm a little offended that you aren't inviting me to take part in the fighting adventures."

Megaman grinned slightly. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun here." He assured the android. "Every week or so the military tries to retake this bunker. They up the ante each time, but you should be fine if the stories I hear are true."

"Hold on a second," Sig said, putting up a finger. "You're hideout is a United States military bunker?"

" _Former_ United States military bunker." Megaman corrected. "It's ours now."

"And _I'm_ the crazy one." Sigma muttered, resuming the removal of the cables, as Megaman departed.

The steel cords fell loose, revealing the android's face and long, blood-red hair. "Get the fuck away from me!" Gerard shouted up at him. "You have no idea what kind of shit storm you're in for when my friends find me!"

Sigma stared at him with a raised eyebrow, "' _Captain_ _'_ Helix?" He said, mostly to himself, rubbing his bald head. "What the hell have _I_ missed?" Sigma asked, smirking.


	3. The Unruly

**Chapter 3**

 _ **Clarksville, Tennessee-(During "The Secret Wars")**_

The yelling of the large group filled the hollow banquet hall like a coliseum. "Quiet!" Sigma shouted over them, bringing the room to a stand-still. He stood from his seat, donning his immaculate, black nanoarmor and red cape. The garrison of security droids kept all the humans at bay, both Wily recruit and Rancor alike. Sigma had systematically stripped their armor and shirts, and branded them with a jagged "W" or "R". He turned his attention to the naked body of a former Rancor soldier, hanging from the wall. "Time for the next go-round."

One of the "R" men was pushed forward and blindfolded. "Alright, warrior, you know the rules." Sigma said, as Agile reluctantly handed the man a knife. "Body is human, leg is a security droid." He turned the blind man to face the hanging body. "Arm is one of my androids and the head earns you a shot at the champ himself. If you miss completely, execution."

The soldier's heart was pounding in his throat, as he drew back, and threw. The hanging man screamed loudly, igniting the crowd. "Arm!" Sigma shouted over them, snatching off the skinny man's blindfold, and signaling Violen to step into the middle. The young soldier went pale, knowing he stood no chance.

"Wait!" A voice interrupted. Gerard pushed his way into the "ring".

"What the hell is this?" Sigma asked, turning back from his return to his makeshift throne.

"I wanna take his place." Gerard said defiantly. "He's a medic. This won't even be a fight." The massive android walked up, bringing his sternum close to Gerard's face, forcing him to look up.

"And you will, I take it?" Sigma asked, grinning.

"Better than him." He replied. "C'mon, you want a good match, right?"

Sig glared at him. "You're the human from the command center." He said, nodding. "With the mask. That's some impressive technology, I must admit." Sigma thought for a moment. "What's your name?"

"Helix." He answered, clinching his jaw.

"You're their leader." The android stated plainly, looking to the crowd. "Their _Captain._ "

Gerard stood firm. "Rancors have no leader. We fight as equals."

Sigma turned suddenly and began walking away. "That wasn't a question." He began, as he sat down. "But you said so yourself; you 'fight as equals'." With that said, security droids grabbed Gerard, pulling him back through the crowd.

The medic panicked as Violen approached, dropping the ball of his spiked flail. He felt the tips of rip trenches across his bare back, as he narrowly avoided the first pass. He could hear his friends desperately screaming his name, making his current situation even more chaotic. The android laughed, tossing his weapons to the ground, and removing his spartan-like helmet. "C'mon." Violen said, putting up his fists. The medic lashed out, throwing left and right hooks that were easily dodged. The android toyed with him, punching him in the gut and relieving him of any oxygen he had. The soldier threw a desperate right, connecting flush on Violen's cheek. He had never howled in such agony before, as he did when he drew back his shattered hand.

Seizing the moment, Violen reached out, shoving his middle and ring finger into the man's mouth, and violently snatched downward. The Rancor members shrieked out in utter horror and hatred as their comrade fell lifeless, bleeding on the floor. Violen walked back through his side of the group like a barbarian, dropping the lower half of the human's face on the floor as he left.

"Well!" Sigma said, standing up. "After _that_ stellar ending, I'll allow you all three solid hours of sleep." As the crowd murmured and shouted, he turned to Serges, who seemed appalled. "Have _Captain_ Helix sent to the command center." He ordered.

For two hours Helix waited, simmering in his hatred. The gathering of security droids made any kind of escape impossible. He clinched his jaw, eying his surroundings, looking for any kind of scenario that could end with the slaying of their leader and the freedom of his people. Sigma finally entered the room, his arms soaked in blood to his biceps.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain." He said. "I had an unruly bunch to deal with after the festivities. It seems some of mine _and_ yours decided to team up to ambush me." Sigma chuckled casually as he sat down across from Helix. "Needless to say, we'll have a smaller turnout next go-round."

Gerard was unamused, grinding his teeth. "What's the point of all this?" He asked. "If you want to have your little pit fights, so be it. But what do we possibly have to say to each other?"

Sigma didn't respond right away. He sat with a fox-like grin, rubbing his jaw. "There's no real _point_ , honestly. I just wanted to get a quick character read on you, _Captain_ Helix."

The way the android always said "Captain" was infuriating. As if constantly mocking Gerard on a rank he hadn't even assumed. "Are you finished?"

"Not even close." Sigma stated, chuckling. "Maybe we will get another chance to converse, _Captain._ But you'll get your chance to prove yourself in about an hour." He stood up, wiping his bloody hands on Serges' nanosuit, before moving for the door.

"You gonna finally step up and take me on yourself?" Gerard asked with a scoff.

The android looked back, laughing condescendingly. " _Me?_ " He questioned, laughing again. "You wouldn't have a clue of the _power_ you would facing. Are you familiar with a 'gauntlet', _Captain_? I expect great things from you. Do _not_ disappoint me."

 _ **Beverly Hills, CA-(Present Day)**_

The mob was getting bigger, and with it's size tensions grew. Entire units of armored police held the people at bay, with weapons drawn. Megaman, Agile and Violen sat across the street from scene, watching from inside the stolen sports utility vehicle. "I'm thinking we may be able to get this bitch out alive. Then we can bring her back to the..." Agile was saying from the back seat.

"Wouldn't count on it." Megaman said, sitting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, as if focusing intently.

Violen looked over to him. "Is something wrong, Lord Megaman?" He asked, bewildered.

Alex shook his head calmly, "No. She isn't in there."

The two androids exchanged confused looks. "Not to question you," Agile began, "but if she's not here, why are we?"

Alex kept his eyes closed, "Even if someone has an ace up their sleeve, they never open themselves up so blatantly. So it's most likely a trap." He said. "Nancy Goff isn't courageous, cunning or zealous, so chances are, she isn't behind this. We are here to find out three things: Who _is;_ what their capabilities are; and who the trap is for." He ticked off with his fingers on each point, to emphasize. "About a hundred yards to the east of the estate there is a high-powered sniper rifle and a throwaway holocomm. I'm not sure who _that's_ meant for, but either way we'll find out when the chaos ensues."

"About how long do you think that could be?" Violen asked, feeling antsy.

"In roughly six seconds." Megaman replied. "When it does, move inside with the mob." He opened his eyes, looking to the row of police officers. "Then slaughter everyone."

Without warning, several of the officers' guns erupted on their own, peppering the crowd's front rows. The momentary disarray was short-lived, before the outrage set in. The group swarmed the police, who's weapons now refused to work for them, trampling those who weren't killed where they stood.

Violen and Agile exited the vehicle, in long coats, carrying black shoulder bags. Within seconds they blended into the small hoard, ascending the long driveway. Ahead, three people armed with pistols and rope, crossed the threshold. The almost invisible tripwire was tripped free, rolling two large rings down either side of the frame, cross-weaved with razor-sharp, piano-thin wire. Resembling an old-time push-mower blade cylinder, it mulched through skin and bone just the same. More would be murderers were at high speeds behind them, unable to stop, and also met the trap where it lay. The wires severed legs and made a gory mess of the ones who were unfortunate enough to be it's breaker.

The crowd was finally into the main foyer, only to turn on itself. Everyone obsessed over being the sole person to kill the most hated woman in America, turning the first floor of her mansion into a frenzy of random, cold-blooded violence. Just what Agile loved, as he brought up the rear, removing his coat. Violen shut and barred the entry, then did the same. No one seemed to notice the two men; one hulking, mohawked brute in a red-armored nanosuit, and the limber blonde, clad in black and purple. They opened their bags and slid their helmets into place. "Everyone!" Agile shouted at an inhuman volume, getting their attention. "I promise you, the death of your bodies, will _truly be_ more painful than that of your souls."

Bryson lay still on the edge of the hill with his eye in his scope, watching Megaman slowly walk toward Nancy's house. He was just as the stories described him, only his sky-blue nanosuit was a lighter shade of grey, with pale blue trimming. But otherwise elegant, and if he didn't know the circumstances, Bryson would even say heroic. He stopped walking, halfway there. Nancy's muffled moans distracted Bryson, urging him to punch her in the gut again. But he didn't want to look away, Megaman _had_ to be up to something. He decided to not think on it anymore, now was his chance. He began to squeeze the trigger, when a faint comms chime stopped him. "What the fuck is that?" He whispered angrily to Goff, who lay gagged and bound beside him in the grass. It continued as he frantically started ripping at her clothing, to find the small holocomm in her bra strap. He slapped her hard across her face in an outburst of rage, before answering the unknown call.

Megaman's face and chest sprung into view, staring dead in his eyes. He nodded for a moment, grinning slightly. "Mr. Oldman." Megaman said. "Seems you _did_ have what it took."

In shock, Bryson looked back through the scope. Megaman still stood in the driveway, just as he was before. " _Shit."_ Was all he had time to think before his rifle grew hotter by the second, and the android turned and looked his direction. He threw the gun just in time to only suffer shrapnel damage to his face and chest as it exploded along with the comms. But knowing what hesitation would do against a being like Megaman, he wasted no time in snatching the journalist to her feet and making a break for the coast. And Alex Light pursued. Bryson had played a part in Megaman's games for too long, and with every breath he swore to himself that only _he_ would set the board from now on. But still, Alex Light pursued.


	4. Falling Angels

**Chapter 4**

Agile marveled at the ruby droplets as they slid from the tip of his blade. The first couple of people could be considered the "lucky ones", as his initial swipe removed their heads with haste. The others began to scatter, most fleeing for safety while some still intended to carry out their lynch-mob driven objective. A rugged man charged him from his flank, wielding a baseball bat with both hands. Agile made a simple sidestep, and in one motion, removed the attacker's hands. He gave his victim a lazy shove to the floor where he could bleed out in shock. Bounding up the lavish staircase, he slashed the Achilles tendons of the man ahead of him, before digging his claws into his back and vaulting over and beheading him.

On the lower level, Violen pinned an attacker to the floor with the large, spiked side of his axe. Raising his shield, he deflected two stray shots from his left. Slightly annoyed, the android pulled the weapon free and swung for the human's torso, opening his stomach while sending him through a pane-glass, décor window, into the kitchen. "How many you got up there?" He shouted to the balcony.

"Four!" Agile shouted back. A high-pitched scream came after, "Three!" The android corrected.

Violen stepped into the day room, checking for stragglers, when an explosion took him off his feet and ejected him back into the foyer. He picked himself up, touching the burns on his cheek. "Watch for tripwires!" He shouted.

Agile rolled his eyes as he strangled the life from another savage. "Sometimes he can be a real ape." He said quietly to the dying woman, who was now turning a pinkish hue. "I love the guy to death, don't get me wrong, but tripwires are so amateur." He spoke in a nonchalant, eerily friendly tone, as the life vacated her eyes. As if on cue an explosion rang out up the hall, in the master bedroom. He shook his head as he stood up. "No grace, whatsoever." As he approached the room, he noticed the tripwire still in place and daylight coming from somewhere above. "Vie!" He shouted, grinning. "Come on up! We're about to have an unplanned reunion."

Megaman watched, as Bryson snatched a restrained Nancy Goff from the grass and made a desperate run for the docks. He smiled as he started after the duo. _Run, Dr._ _Oldman._ He thought, _You'll never make..._ His though process was cut short, as something hit the back of his helmet at an unreal speed. Hitting the ground, his sensors jumped and shuffled wildly for a moment, before restoring. Alex was frustratedly confused, sensing no electronics or fusion out of the ordinary. Before he could process any ideas, he heard a sharp ripple in the air when another hit came, punching something through his rib and into the ground in front of him.

Megaman had enough clear thought in him to fully encase himself in his heavy armor, staggering to his feet. _Bullets._ He thought. The shots came faster, bouncing off harmlessly. Anger consumed him, driving him to seek out the source for his own retribution. _Two_ humans dared to attempt a long range assassination on him. Both within minutes of each other, no less. People needed to understand the penalty for thinking so lowly of him. He needed to set another example.

"Armor's up." Slate said into his comms, watching Megaman advance toward the mansion. "Drop in the angels."

A slight high-pitched whistling behind Megaman was followed by two heavy thuds. He cut his eyes behind his enclosed mask, _Of course._ He thought. "This is really not the time, dad." He said, turning around.

X and Zero stood side by side, with weapons drawn. "I'm going to offer my hand to you this last time, son." X said, as Zero circled off to the left slowly. "We can help you, then fix this whole mess together."

"There's nothing left to fix." The distorted voice through the helmet's speaker replied. "The humans have shown their true nature." He transmuted a long katana, twirling it gracefully. "Evolution is the next step, but there will always be traitors." Megaman fired four spinning blades in X's direction, and immediately parried Zero's horizontal slash for his throat. With the sword deflected, he planted a foot on the android's knee and pushed himself upward, driving his own knee into his foe's chin, knocking him back.

X easily dodged the projectiles and circled to Megaman's flank, unleashing a punishing rain of fusion bolts. As expected, they bounced harmlessly off the impenetrable armor, only drawing the android's anger. Zero used this opportunity to lash out in a flurry of slashes, causing Megaman to quickly deflect with both blade and forearm. As he backed toward X, Zero gave him a hard boot to the torso, propelling his own body away, and clear of the molten flames that now engulfed the area.

The white-hot fire that covered the android in front of him was getting hard to maintain. X was draining energy at an accelerated rate. His left arm out, with support from the right, he could no longer see through the fire. Until the menacing figure of his own creation came into view, walking unaffected through the flames. He dropped the wall of fire in an attempt to quickly defend himself. Megaman's armor was glowing as he took a two handed swing with his blade, intending to kill without mercy. To X's benefit the sword had been heated to the point that it liquified mid-arch. He transmuted an axe of his own and began to unleash a barrage of swift blows from all angles. Megaman slapped most of the strikes stray, but the ones that landed did serious damage to the super-heated plating.

Zero flanked around, bringing the assault from both sides, chipping away at their enemy's defenses. Megaman, unarmed, moved with unreal speed, avoiding every strike from the two. He halted the attack by simultaneously catching both of their weapons mid-swing and snatching them both from their feet as he let go and peppered them both in rapid fusion bolts. With both androids in front of him, he let out a spray of his own fire, causing them to frantically fall back.

Slate looked through his scope and fired another round, hitting the android directly in left hand, causing the flames to erupt upon himself. "Try your shit now." He muttered, lining up another shot.

Megaman howled, gripping his destroyed hand, as X and Zero charged in. The two front "claws" of the BSTR flailed desperately to latch on to a hand that was no longer there. He clinched his forearm, stiffening the arms to use as a makeshift talon. He ducked Zero's diagonal slash reaching back and wrapping his shoulder with his good hand. Megaman planted his foot and positioned the android directly between himself and X's axe, which buried itself into Zero's torso. He flung the blonde-haired machine to the ground as he snatched the sword from his hand. In a split second, X took another swing, only meeting open air. The claws plunged into his chest, as Megaman drove a foot into the axe, and severed the left arm of his creator. "Consider this compensation." He spat like venom, as he raised the blade to the top of X's spine.

"You truly are lost." Preston said quietly, awaiting his execution from his knelt position. But the sword never lowered. A bullet caught the blade, sending it screeching to the ground.

"Send in the devils!" Slate shouted over comms, before shooting desperately to keep Megaman from killing his allies.

X drove his shoulder directly into Alex's chest, as an explosion opened the top of the house in front of them. Zero staggered to his feet, bleeding from the abdomen. "Emergency evac." He said weakly over comms, before using his last bit of strength to drive his body, sharply, into Megaman's spine. They both hit the grass hard. All three androids lay beaten as if they had been in a demolition derby. Zero clawed the ground, dragging himself to his sword. His vision blurred as he raised the blade over Megaman's back. Then slipped into blackness.

The Phantom lowered from beyond the clouds, to find X and Zero lying in the grass. Megaman had raised to his feet and assuredly had fowl intentions for the two. He looked up at the ship, as if looking directly into Trevor's soul, making him go cold. He quickly charged the frontal defense cannon, but with the blink of an eye, Alex was gone, making a direct run for the mansion. The Phantom touched down, Trevor and Slate were immediately out the hatch, to retrieve the androids. Slate still with his rifle over his shoulder, started for the house, but was stopped by a hand gripping his arm. He looked back, X slowly shook his head, wearing a look of utter defeat. "We need to get the others back on the ship. We lost this one."

Slate nodded. "Another day."

"God willing." X responded, dropping his good arm as Trevor helped him aboard.


	5. Devils at the Door

**Chapter 5**

Bryson turned around as he and his captive reached the water's edge. He gripped a small wired device in his left hand, waiting as his heart pounded. "C'mon you motherfucker." He muttered, glaring at the distant clearing. "C'mon!" He shouted, feeling impatiently slighted.

"He's not coming." Nancy spat venomously from the ground where he had shoved her. "You aren't important to him."

He turned slowly, giving her a predatory glare. She was right, Megaman didn't see him worthy to chase. His anger subsided, realizing he could use this to his advantage rather than feel sorry for himself. "Get up." He ordered, surprisingly calm, as he helped her to her feet.

Nancy was caught off guard by his change of mood. "So, _that_ was your plan, to blow us all up?" She asked, nodding to the detonator.

Oldman shook his head, as he cut her restraints. "He has the capability to fully shield himself in a fraction of a second." He said, pulling down the side of his belt-line, revealing a bandolier of flashing circuit boards. "Electromagnetic inhibitors." He stated. "Enough to put him offline if he's in direct contact with me."

Goff was actually impressed. "Turn him off and chunk him in the drink." She confirmed. For the first time, she oddly admired the psychopath. "What do we do now?" She asked.

" _We._ " He answered, chuckling as he looked over to her to see that she was actually serious. "Ditch any other hidden electronics you have on you, he can track those apparently." He pointed to a small boat at the pier, "That's our ride, we lay low for a few days."

"I kinda _have_ to." She added, walking toward the vessel. "You have everyone wanting my head, more so than before."

Bryson walked alongside her, "How many people showed up to kill you?" He asked quietly. "Forty? Less?" He caught her glance, briefly as they stepped into the boat. "Imagine how many people saw what you did as a brave act of defiance. _That's_ how _we_ will prod at Megaman, until he has no choice but come for us." Oldman started the engine, meeting her eyes looking up from her seat. "Congratulations Nancy Goff, You're a revolutionary."

Violen slowly approached his partner, who waited patiently as smoked filled the master bedroom before him. "Ropes." He said.

Agile nodded, with a wicked smile. "Old friends of ours." He replied, as the first massive form dropped down.

Cole stepped through the smoke, gripping his bladed sledgehammer in his right hand. Glaring at the androids from behind the steel skull that covered his head, he raised the maul into his left palm. Cammy descended at his back, donning a similar full-body armor and mask.

"And here I thought I wouldn't get the chance to finish my collection." Agile stated, twirling his blade. "Only killing two of you was slightly disappointing, I must admit."

Tron dropped in last, extending her staff, as her yellow scarf flapped in the breeze. Her black visor fully lowered, their opponents found themselves staring into blank faces, receiving no response.

"Fine." Agile said. "No banter it is." In an instant, he darted a small blade, aimed for the tripwire in the doorway. Tron sparked an EMP jolt, as the laser was broken, causing the would be explosion to be overridden.

The five combatants rushed each other, colliding in the hallway. Like a battering ram, Cole drove his body and maul full-speed into the shield of the massive android. The two smashed the bannister, plummeting to the foyer below. Landing on top of Violen, he quickly brought his hammer down, only meeting with ceramic tile. The android flung him aside with the ease of an insect, but the large human slid into a graceful roll and was back on the advance.

As if dancing, Agile evaded every swipe of metal staff and dual tonfas from his female counterparts. The incessant stings of EMP shocks was a minor annoyance, though effective in delaying his peak performance. He weaved his blade only causing a lightshow of sparks on the well-crafted armor. Cammy circled out of his peripheral vision as he batted Tron back into a bathroom. Her tonfa grazed his helmet as he sprung into a side somersault, landing one-footed on the balcony railing. Agile parried four quick swipes from his attacker, before tossing his blade in the air and grabbing her wrists. With an inhuman twist of his torso, Cammy was launched over the railing and crashed against a beautiful china display case, over the fireplace.

Tron moved in, shoving the end of her staff into the androids gut, to knock him off balance. But springing off the one planted foot, Agile grabbed the weapon and arched over her head, grabbing his falling sword as he landed beside her. The blade plunged into Tron's chest before she could react, causing her to clench her jaw sharply under her visor. Just as fast as she was impaled, her left arm was up, launching a not-so-subtle crash-bomb, sinking its claws into the androids shoulder. Agile, forced to let go of his foe, scrambled to rip the explosive from his skin and muscular tissue, screaming as he threw it away from him. The explosion sent both androids crashing against the far wall of the upper level, then rolling down the stairs.

Cole was persistent with his blows, battering at the androids shield as he closed into the corner. Dropping the hammer, he drove his body against the metal, grabbing it in his hydraulic gauntlets. Violen kicked his foe back, only to find his shield ripped from his grips. Staring into the gaze of the skull, he watched as small bursts of air ejected from the knuckle guards, and his shield folded in two. Violen let out a roar, charging with his flail spinning. As he swung, the human dropped, rolling to his flank and drawing a sidearm. The bullets felt like spikes punching through the soft spots of his armor. The android smelled sulfur, as he stumbled, looking at the fluids drizzle from his body, painting abstracts on the ceramic.

Cole holstered the pistol, sprinting for his hammer. But Violen wasn't completely incapacitated by the gunfire. He was upon him before he could turn to swing, slapping down the weapon and closing his fists around Cole's throat. The eruption that violently jerked the android's head was deafening. Cole knew the sound well, close-range double-barrel shotgun. He rose to his feet, joining Cammy, as Violen rose as well, removing his dented headgear. The two attacked from both sides, landing bloody punches to his ribs and face. The melee circled, filling the room with the music of clanging metal, as the three savagely beat each other viciously.

"Devil team, move for evac immediately!" Trevor said over comms. "Angels are down and Megaman is moving for the house!"

"I'm not leaving!" Cammy replied, still locked in combat. "That shit fed my mother to the wolves, he dies today!"

Slate came over comms, "Cam, he's growing stronger and he doesn't even realize it. We _need_ to leave!"

After the final word, the front doors were ripped open, as Megaman stepped in. Moving with the quickness of a flash of lightning, he pulled the katana from Tron's chest on the floor and sliced chunks of metal from the humans' armor. Knocking the two back, he placed a hand on Violen's bloody chest, motioning for him to stay back. Megaman was missing his left hand, but had that of X's hanging from his belt like a trophy. He walked slowly, methodically toward them, pointing the blade. "For what you have done here today, one of you dies. After that, maybe another, maybe we leave."

Tron struggled to her feet, her partners stood wary and hurt, unarmed against the android lord. She _had_ to do something. She raised her arm, readying a crash bomb, when the sharp talons dug into her skin. "No." Agile whispered from behind her. "You get to watch." She could smell burnt fiber and coolant on his breath, as she desperately tried to fight back.

Megaman picked up stride, lunging the blade accurately for Cammy's throat. The roof seemed to rip away like a sardine can, as automatic cannon fire poured into the room. A huge imposing mech smashed to the floor, piloted by Trevor himself. Like his mother before him, he unleashed utter chaos with his machine. Two ropes fell for Cammy and Cole, as Megaman turned to face the mechanical beast. A wrenching backhand dislodged Agile from Tron's back, discarding him halfway up the driveway. Trevor fired three cannon rounds as he ascended with Tron toward The Phantom. Three rounds that did little more than bounce off of the armor that sprung forth to cover Megaman, who stared deathly holes through them, as they retreated. He was reaching a new level of hatred for the Bonne-Radcliffe bloodline, a legacy he now intended to erase.


	6. Champions

**Chapter 6**

 _ **Clarksville, Tennessee-(During "The Secret Wars")**_

Helix stood shirtless over the two dead Wily soldiers. The white tape wrapping his hands and wrists had long been red now. Sound seemed to be nonexistent behind his heavy breathing. He wasn't entirely sure how much of the hair hanging in his face was genuinely red, or how much was blood. He also wasn't sure about how long he had been doing this, killing his enemies, or how many were left. The large hand came down to a rest on his shoulder, not even startling him.

"You see." Sigma addressed the remaining men, "You see the capabilities of some humans. Most are simply fodder for populating purposes," he began to walk around the dead bodies, "but what I want are prime specimen. Men and women _driven_ by their need to avenge, their need to protect! A _true_ Captain of his people!" He walked in front of the soldiers still standing, who waited to be the next. "Do not make the mistake that because we share the same leader, that we are on the same side." Sigma turned his head to the Rancors' fighters. "Or vice-versa. I strive for excellence, plain and simple. Captain Helix here has nominated himself to be the sole fighter for his team until the time that he falls. He has killed _thirty_ of you so far! A warrior." He added sternly. Sigma pointed to the muscular man wearing a grey tank top, "You're up, then we take a break."

As Sigma departed back to his seat, the man charged Helix, with murder in his eyes. In the final split-second, Helix shifted to the right, ducking the man's hook, and grabbed a handful of the back of his shirt. Yanking his attacker to his back on the concrete, he promptly pulled the shirt up twisting it on his arm and began strangling his opponent, pushing his feet on his shoulders for leverage.

"You _never_ charge a ready-standing foe!" Sigma shouted from his chair, grinning. "Haven't you been _watching_?!"

Three men huddled close together in the crowd suddenly rushed into the fight, wielding shivs of various designs. But moments before reaching the unaware Helix, Sigma stood, forming a fist with his left hand. It quickly began to glow a hot gold color, as he raised his right hand. There was no flash, no fusion, not even a beam of any sort. The three were simply ripped of their flesh in a blink. Their meaty, former human-like bodies made wet "thuds" as they plopped to the ground mid-run.

Helix turned his head when the room went silent. He found himself face to face with "eyeballs in bloody meat" that once intended to ambush him. His adversary gurgled out his final rattles of life when his body went limp, prompting Helix to release his grip and rise to his feet. He looked over to Sigma, who was shaking the heat vapors from his left hand, and gave him a small, respectful nod, which was returned.

"Let that be another lesson for all of you." Sigma announced. "Treachery is _not_ honorable." With that said, he motioned them all back to their cells.

Upstairs, Agile, Serges and Violen weren't as taken when Helix and his friends entered. Serges was holding the light, yellow face-mask, studying the inside intently. "This technology is extremely sophisticated." He commented, catching Gerard's attention. "I take it that it's only compatible with your specific brainwaves and genetic pattern?" Gerard nodded, putting a bloody hand out for Serges to return his property. The android handed it to him, turning back to his console. "The ability to look like anyone you can imagine." He said to himself. "No wonder you weren't in the Wraith's dossier."

"Have a seat." Sigma said, tossing Gerard a towel. "You've shown a lot of heart out there. It's something that seems to be lost on humans these days." Gerard, Silas and Gina looked at each other sceptically. Before any of them could respond, the building began to rumble as a large airship approached outside. Sigma grinned, knowing _exactly_ who it was. He pulled a thin door card from his pocket, "I'm sure you know a back way out of here. You're free to go."

Helix took the card, "Whats going on?" He asked, standing up.

Sigma remained sitting, "One of my subordinates has betrayed me." He said, looking over at Serges. "The General and his army are here to put me down. This is a fight I'm afraid you won't be able to win. So the three of you need to go now."

"Thank you." Helix said, shaking the android's hand, before they parted ways.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting them leave here alive!" Violen shouted, outraged, as he picked up his helmet.

Before any of them could react, Sigma was right on top of them. His punches felt like sledgehammers to their bodies, as the melee ensued. No matter how hard they fought him as a team, Sigma was always a step ahead, counter attacking their every advance. The four androids appeared to dance and circle the room, being thrown and smashed against almost everything in sight. Violen's back slammed against the reinforced glass overlooking the loading bay, decorating it in a masterpiece of spiderweb-like cracks. Attempting to capitalize on Sigma's turn of attention, Agile and Serges struck from both angles, and failed. The android spun on his heel in one smooth motion, catching both attackers by the throats and reuniting them with their larger brother in arms.

General Guts wasn't the least bit surprised to tear open the steel doors and see three humanoid units plummeting to the concrete, cascaded by glass. "Sigma." He called out, from behind his helmet. "The King requires your return." He walked in slowly, flanked by Quickman and a sizable army. "Don't make this more complicated then it has to be."

Sigma chuckled sinisterly as his silhouette came into view above. "I've made some pretty extensive upgrades to my software, General." He began. "You _do_ realize I could easily eradicate you and you pathetic 'welcoming party' with little more than a thought."

Guts raised his visor, "As true as that may be, you would run to no end." He cocked his head, "Unless, of course, you intend to kill the man who gave you this life."

Sig respected Wiley, that was never a question. So his curiosity to see why exactly his maker wanted him to return alive got the better of him. 'Besides,' he thought, ' what's the worst they can do to _me?'_ "So be it, General." He replied, jumping down to the ground floor. "Let's go talk to 'dear old dad', shall we?" He gave Guts and Quickman a condescending smirk, as he passed them and boarded the airship.

In the dimly lit White House laboratory, Wily ran his fingers through his long blonde hair, as he observed Sigma, saying nothing. "Ingenious." He stated, after a long silence. "You have managed to harness and manipulate molecular fission?" He asked rubbing his chin. Sigma didn't reply, only nodded and smiled. "This _far_ surpasses the capabilities of any other model. It begs the question: Just how much _are_ you capable of?"

Sigma was genuinely confused. Considering the things he had done, he was expecting the other shoe to drop any second. "I've only tried to fully capitalize on the skills you've given me, Sir." He stated politely. "But I don't regret my actions, if that's what you're looking for."

"Not at all." Wily said, walking over to him. "You have become the most powerful being in my arsenal." He approached Sigma, who beamed with pride. Without warning he shoved a small electrical node into the android's temple, temporarily paralyzing the machine. Wily crouched over the twitching humanoid, " _However_ , I'm afraid you are to volatile to keep in my ranks, amongst my army. You can't be trusted, but you can't be killed. I may need you someday." He looked up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Sigma, you are destined for great things. You'll just need the patience to wait your turn."

Guts was in the corridor, awaiting orders when the King walked out, holding a bloody sensor. "I removed the node he implanted in his head, so he cant use his transmuters." He said. "Chain him tight and bury him somewhere deep before he can move again." Wily added before dropping the hardware and walking away.


End file.
